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Student Life FAQs

From what a typical day looks like to what time you need to get up, find out student life FAQs for four weeks at the Academy.

What does a typical day look like at the Academy?

Classes run in the morning for three hours, followed by lunch and then two hours of cultural exploration activities in the afternoon. Following these activities, student have free time—still in language, of course—after which they reconvene for dinner. In the evenings, there are often cultural performances, club activities, movie nights or time to hang out with friends before lights out at 11pm.

How early do classes start?

Classes start at 9:30 every morning and run until lunchtime.

Do the students have classes on weekends?

No, students do not have classes on weekends. Instead, they will participate in a variety of on–campus activities and off–campus field trips to sites of interest.

Are the weekend activities mandatory?

Yes, they are. As a 24/7 immersion program, weekend learning at the Academy is equally important as learning during the weekdays. However, if you have religious commitments, which will impact your weekend participation, we are able to make accommodations.

What are the cultural exploration activities?

The cultural exploration activities are week-long, project-based classes that examine a part of the target culture in depth. Previous themes have included cooking, dancing, art, politics, history and sports. These activities mix class levels and, as a result, are crucial for the facilitation of peer-to-peer learning, which we believe is just as valuable as formal classroom instruction.

Do the students have free time?

Yes. Students have free time both in the morning before breakfast and in the afternoon before dinner, as well as often in the evenings.

Can Academy students leave campus?

Language Academy students will go off campus with teachers and Residential Educators to visit local and cultural sites during the program. However, leaving campus during free time depends upon the location and age of the students. We strive to balance freedom with safety, and only allow our older students (11th–12th grade) to walk into town at our U.S. Immersion location in Poultney, Vermont.

Are the older students given more privileges?

All students are expected to follow the same schedule and participate in the same programming, regardless of age. However, older students are granted the freedom of independent “town privileges” and a slightly later evening curfew at some sites, depending on safety and staff discretion.

Will the students visit Middlebury College campus?

Yes, students at our U.S. basd language immersion programs will take a day trip to Middebury College to visit classes, attend workshops, and watch language related performances.

Do all of the Academies have the same daily structure?

The U.S. immersion and study abroad Academies run very similar programs, with classes in the morning and cultural exploration activities in the afternoon. For the study abroad Academies, these afternoon activities often include cultural and historic excursions around the city, which allow students to integrate with local native speakers.

Programming in Spain runs slightly different than in our other programs because of the heat. Classes are conducted in the morning, with a siesta in the afternoon and then cultural exploration activities in and around Granada towards the evening. The day ends with a late dinner and cultural activities or down-time in the dorm.